Corn-planter-clutch-controlling mechanism.



RALPH L. roma,- oF'cHIcAGo; ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To INTERNATIONAL I'IAnvns'rnn CORPORATION, A oonromr'rlolvor` New JERSEY.

CORN-PLANTER-CLUTCH-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application led .Tilly 26, 1915. Serial No. 422,040.

To all whom t may concern.'

proved clutch controlling mechanism automatically operable as the planter runners are raised or lowered, and especially adapted to control the clutch of adrill type planter, so that the drilling mechanism is thrown into or out of gear automatically upon raising or lowering of the runners.

A further object of my invention is to produce an improved construction of a type which is exceedingly rugged, which may be readily and cheaply manufactured, and which may beI assembled complete on one member or part of the machine, and thereby I make it less liable to give trouble and to require adjustment when set up by the'user.

I attain these objects by improved mechanism wherein the movement ofthe runner adjusting lever is transmitted to a rocking member, which in turn controls a reciprocating member connected to the clutch shipper so that upon a rotary movement of the rocking member the reciprocating member is moved and the clutch connection shifted,. all as hereinafter more specifically set forth.

In the accompanying drawings I have, for'purposes of illustration, shownone embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a corn planter equipped with my improvement;

Fig. 2 is a .detail view of a portion of the clutch operating mechanism, the View being a reversed view taken approximately on linee 2 2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a detail partial sectional view showing the clutch mechanism and the ratchet controlling mechanism therefor;

Fig. 4 is a detail'sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail view, partially in section, of thev clutch shipping mechanism' per se.

In the construction shown a plantergof standard type is illustrated, having a frame 1 mounted upon carryingv wheels 2 and car- Patented Deo. 18,

rying seed boxes 3 connected by a drill shaft g. j

4, which is controlled in the usual manner by a movable spring-pressed clutch member 5 reciprocating thereon and controlling the connection of the shaft 4 to a cooperating clutch member 6 carrying the power sprock-r.,A

ets rotatable from the wheels of the planter; The planter shown is also provided with runners 7 under each seed box jvwhich-.are

connected to a lever 8 in such a manner ythat they may be raised and lowered whenever y, .5;-

the lever 8 is moved about its pivot. I

In my improved construction I haveprovided an improved connection betweentlie-r lever 8 /and clutch 5 whereby, as the lever 8 is moved about its pivot to raise and lower L ff the runners 7, the clutch 5 is thrown intogor out of gear. `As shown, the lever 8 is connected to a pair of spaced forwardly -protruded links 9 of well-known construction which extend toward the shaft 4 andpass 1. i;

beneath the same, being pivotally connected at their front ends to a link or bracket member 10, which is in turn pivoted at 11 tv'a strap 12 underlying 'the pole 13 of the planter. wardly extending lug 14 onthis bracket 10, anddisposed longitudinally beneath the pole 13, is the usual spring 15 connected at its front end tothe pole. Projecting laterally Operatively connected to ayorifi',

from this bracket 10 is also a lug or arm 16V fis.:

which passes between the legs 17 of a bifu'r# cated member or fork 18 pivoted at 19 at a point near its upper end upon a bracket 20 fixed to the cross member of the frame member'l. `The upper end of this fork 18 is also bifurcated, being provided with arms 21 which receive between them a transversely disposed member' 22, preferably formed integral with a rotating cam member 23 cooperating with a fixed cam member 24 formed on the bracket 20 and rotatable about the member 24 as a pivot. As shown, a link 25 is adjustably attached by awasher and bolt connection 26 to the movable ratchet member 23 and is reciprocated thereby, when the cam member 23 is rotated, through a suitable bearing in the bracket member 20, the latter bracket member, in order to form a stable support, preferably being provided with an extension or sleeve 27 which acts as a bearing for the shaft 4; at

a point adjacent the reciprocable springpressed clutch member 5'. As shown, the opposite end of this link 25 is pivotally connected at 28fto a clutch shipper 29 pivoted at 30 to the cross frame-member of the frame. 1 and operatively connected in a well-known manner to the clutch member 5 so as to reciprocate the same out of or into engagement with the cooperating clutch member 6 carrying the sprockets. Y

It will be noted that in the operation of the device, when the lever 8 is moved about its pivot, the links 9 will cause the fork 18 to be thrown about its pivot 19 at the same time that the spring 15 is expanded, and the movement of the fork will, through its upper arms 21, throw the member 22, and consequently the cam member 23, about a pivot on the fixed cam member 24, with the result that the link 25 will be retracted and cause the clutch member 5 Vto be shifted out of connection 'with its coperating clutch member 6. Obviously, when the lever is reversed, the clutch member 5, being a spring-pressed clutch member, will be returned t0 its operative position, the other parts being also returned by the spring 15.

While 1 have in this application specilically ascribed one embodiment which my invention ay assume in practice, itis, of course, to be understood that the form shown is used or'purposes' of illustration, and that the invention itselfvis not limited to embodiment therein and may be used in other forms than that shown.

What I claim as new is:

1. In av corn planter clutch controlling mechanism, a frame, a bracket pivotcd thereon, means for swinging the bracket about its pivot, an oscillating member pivoted to said frame and operatively connected with said bracket and movable by saidv bracket, a camimember operatively connected to said oscillating member and movable thereby, a xed cam member carried on said frame, and areciprocating memberoperatively connected to said movable cam member and reciprocable thereby when ysaid bracket is moved about its pivot. A,

2. n a corn planter clutch controlling masones mechanism, a frame, a bracket member piv-v oted thereon having a? laterally extending arm, means for swinging the bracket about its pivot, an oscillatory fork member pivoted .at a point between its ends to said frame, a cam member journaled on said frame having a portion thereof engageable with the upper end of the oscillatory fork member and rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of said member, a reciprocable clutch member, .and means whereby upon rotation of said rotating cam member said clutch member'is reciprocated.

3. In a corn planter clutch controlling mechanism, a frame, a bracket member piv oted thereon having a llaterally extending said frame, mechanism operatively connecting the same to said bracket, a spring operatively connected between said frame and said bracket, an oscillating member pivoted on said frame engageable with the arm on said bracket, a rotating member journaled on said frame and engageable with said oscillating member, and means whereby upon arm thereon, lever mechanismcarried on l movement of said oscillating member said on ysaid frame engageable with the arm on said bracket, a rotating member journaled on said frame and engageable with saidv oscillating member, means whereby upon movement of said oscillating member said rotating member is rotated and moved bodilyl longitudinally relative tothe axis of vsaid oscillating member, and a clutch ship- .ping member operatively connected to said rotating member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RALPH L. FORD. 

